Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-05-06
ruu BLACK PRINCE.
,.,d,r. the Leading Negro Gambler Of
10 h'' Tho United states.


). d. pstrols Tribune.
l',n ,oIored man stood in the front
= whitney's opera house, gazing
400 Ssso Il at a three- :, poster on
- sD'. stand in front OF the theater. He
Tor "A altogether a remarkable pict-
i'l = md one that was duplicated up
nff 20 ~ hin board. A closely clipped
Oh " "a covered his face. Amagnificent
Oea' 'sin overcoat, reaching nearly to
S I, hsels, was careessly thrown open
". .t The diamonds that blazed
IN nis shirt bosom and fingers were
IT, no as the eyes OF the street gam
IS laiss stood gaping at the man in
ns.I,n norway. The man, too, had eyes
the co. ~, and restless. He wore a silk
pIerc'n,S5 carried gold-headed cane.
hss a.'u men passed by the theater.
W. look at that overcoat!", said
cay ..Minstrels here this week."
On nyssu replied the other.
eTb b, fellow is the star OF the COM
psSSir he's the manager. The COM
Nv l. not colored one"
pa "Please give me this with discretion.
o.,ared man run minstrel show?
t ~ that little strong?"
An nMovbe. but it is a fact. His name
I slsyander-John Alexander-one
s,tbe best known and cleverest men
= = s;s line IN America. Some call him
.u,. no the Great, Others the
a DEL prince. Call him what you
p;il he is a bright man just the same"
Theatrical man"
aTambler mainly, theatrical some
shat"
,,snes at Whitney's in the evening.
I IL was smoking a fragrant favored
.;sar right in the face OF the yellow
S .sSrd on the wall that prohibited the
u r OF tobacco on the stage.
~ "How did | become q gambler"
laughed Mr.. Alexander. "Why, my
how now was born one. Now you might
HE Ht TO know Just where | was born.
WaIl came to life fifteen miles be-
low Cincinnati, on President William
Henry Harrison's plantation. used
to match pennies with the Harrison
r :, and there first discovered
NV fortune in risks. Later on | be.
same ., cabin boy on a New Orleans
racket steamer. Everybody CANDLES
On Mississippi river boats. | was no
sycepton My good fortune contin-
ned. and when we reached Cincinnati
an one of our trips | found / had $50
clear. left the river and started a
small gambling room for the benefit OF
neople of my own race. | was getting
along finely until one day man came
in and broke the bank, which meant
5000 to me. Then | bushwhacked
about the country for q time in a
rather impecunious condition. When
could earn a dollar | played the
hank. Sometimes | had hundreds and
occasionally thousands, and lost it all
the next day.
zone night cleaned up 81, 700 in a
Cincinnati bank. | went to Columbus
and determined to open an establish
ment Tor myself, A crowd followed
me up from Cincinnati TO break me.
Igot 81 900 from q Cincinnati friend,
now Detroit sporting man, to help
me out We had it hot and heavy
but came out $4,000 winner. after
waros started a second bank in Co
umbus. and both are running now. v
How do you play?"
"Only big limits-$1OO, 5000, Oh
$500 to call IL card. Detroit banks
pay S25 limits, but it is mere tomiool
cry to play such a game. l have al
ways made it principle to break OF
break--that is, to clean out the banl
or myself. That's the only true way
to gamble My advice to any on,
who engages in it is to stop forever
the minute he makes decent pile"
Have ever broken banks? Only
one or two-hundred. have playeC
the highest game ever performed il
this country-callc card faro for 81 ,0O(
crack. Remember this was not {
combination arrangement. | simply
played my money alone. My larges
cleanings have been in Saratoga, Lon.
Branch and Chicago. In Saratoga 1
few years ago broke bank for $50,
900. That was the largest bank
ever broke, though have made NOR
money than that at one sitting
What do you think OF the career o
agambler?"
mine out of ten die poor men.
have known OF a few who stopped play
ing when they had something, but tn
rule is the reverse. The fascination
IS something indescribable. There j
no use in q man gambling in ligh
games. The principle is to make o
lose. Have | superstitions? None
lhave made enough money withou
them. The only thing that induces
me to enter the theatrical bushes
was that | might divert my attention
nom the gambling table. am usln
Ine mlnstrels only as an experiment
II like the business ! shall enter in
70 legitimate management and spec
ulatlon. am coming here next sun
mer to christen the new trotting as
sociatlon. bet on races; bet on any
'hing and every thing that invites
chance for making money"
Mr., Alexander had received invita
.lons from local gaming houses to Wis
II Their place, and on Sunday mornin
ne walked into Towards place. II
pulled out a handful OF change fror
MS trousers pockets and bought
small Sli stack of chips. Soon Alexal
uef mad $50 on his end of the tablt
minute after it was $50, when h
oegan playing double game--that /;
asainst the blonde gentleman and tn
osnk' lie would copper for $50 ever
pay OF the bank and the little ma
standing against him. 1t took MOI
mar two factors to beat the "Blac